Parathyroid carcinoma: From a case report to a review of the literature

Introduction: Parathyroid carcinoma is a rare endocrine malignancy. The reported incidence is from 0.5 to 5% of primary hyperparathyroidism cases in various series. Consideration of parathyroid carcinoma in the differential diagnosis of hypercalcaemic disorders is important because the morbidity and mortality are substantial and the best prognosis is associated with early recognition and surgical resection.

Presentation of case: We report a case of parathyroid carcinoma occurring in a 60-year-old woman who presented to our institution with persistent hyperparathyroidism and hypercalcemia 3 years after being submitted to one gland parathyroidectomy in another hospital.

Discussion and conclusion: A review of the related literature follows.